SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chargers safety Terrence Kiel pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony and misdemeanor drug charges for shipping codeine-based cough syrup to Texas, part of a plea bargain that could allow him to avoid jail time.
Kiel, one of several Chargers to have run-ins with police since April, was ordered to undergo counseling for gambling and do 100 hours of volunteer work, including talking to young people about the dangers of drugs.

If he does that before his Aug. 7 sentencing and remains law-abiding, the felony conviction will be dismissed and he'll be placed on probation, said San Diego County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sontag.

"We're mindful of the fact that it looks like he's just getting a slap on the wrist because he's an athlete," Deputy District Attorney James Fontaine said outside court. "But we're expecting things from him. Ultimately, what happens is up to Mr. Kiel."

"I think it was a fair resolution," said Kiel's attorney, Bob Grimes.

Kiel was arrested in the team's locker room by Drug Enforcement Administration agents last Sept. 26. The DEA said Kiel admitted to shipping at least two parcels of prescription cough syrup, apparently to be mixed with soft drinks to make a concoction known as "lean."

Kiel still has a Feb. 20 court appearance after being cited for urinating in public last Dec. 18 in downtown San Diego